Sicko

Last night I saw the latest Michael Moore film. Stylistically there is very little to comment on. Like all of his films it's too long by nearly an hour. His points are made several times and his humor is wearing thin. What's more, he takes a very complex issue and over simplifies it.

That said, he raises one unimpeachable point: the richest nation on earth should provide health care to all of its citizens.

And before anyone says tax increase, I say it can and should be done with a combination of re-writing the federal budget and federal legislation of both the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. There is a difference between profit and wholesale rape of the American marketplace.

I've been working in human resources for nearly fifteen years. I've seen a lot of insanity from insurance companies. The examples sited in Moore's film are not -- repeat, not -- aberrations or exaggerations. Insurance companies are in business to make it as difficult as possible to receive health care. However, if you have the ability to make enough noise and the patience to wade through their systems you can get what you need. The insurance companies have to provide coverage so they can say they provide coverage. They never said they made getting coverage easy.

For those who've not seen the movie I won't spoil it. It should be required viewing for anyone entering the workforce. And I challenge the readers of Ham Salad to do something.